Sustainability

As western NC has experienced firsthand in the wake of 2024’s Tropical Storm Helene, climate change is here and impacting our people, homes and businesses. Although we can’t predict the future, we know that Asheville is experiencing more frequent and more intense weather events. 

Climate change is driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and land use changes. Our actions have caused a dramatic increase in greenhouse gases (GHGs) leading to an overheating planet and increased climate risk.

There are ways to prepare now to reduce our risks in an uncertain future. 

The Climate Action Toolkit contains resources, information and local stories to inspire and activate our community. In addition to ways we can prepare for the impacts of climate change, it also includes ideas for how to take action in our daily lives to combat climate change. 

The devastation in our community from Tropical Storm Helene is an example of the increasing frequency and intensity of these events and demonstrates the urgent need to take action at home, in our city, regionally, and worldwide. Our individual household and neighborhood actions complement policies and prepare our communities to respond in the event of a disaster. 

Check out the resources and information below, or download the PDF guide to share with your friends, loved ones and neighbors and make a plan for concrete steps to reduce your risk and support our community’s resilience. 

Important Definitions:

• Climate change refers to long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns. 
• Community resilience is a community’s ability to withstand and recover from hard times.
• Greenhouse gases trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, warming the planet.